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Index | 1183 reviews in total |
This is truly one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, one that
requires a thinking viewer in order to understand and appreciate it. The
director's cut is the recommended one to see as it omits a somewhat
distracting narration and avoids an unnecessary Hollywood-style ending that
is at odds with the rest of the film's tone.
A true science fiction story or film is about ideas, not spaceship battles,
futuristic gadgets, or weird creatures. "Blade Runner" fully qualifies as
this in its examination of the impact of technology on human society,
existence, and the very nature of humanity itself. These themes are set in
a fairly basic detective story that moves slowly but gradually builds power
as the viewer is immersed in a dystopian futuristic Los
Angeles.
Harrison Ford fans accustomed to the normally dynamic roles that he plays
may be dissatisfied with the seemingly lifeless lead character that he
portrays here as the replicant-hunting detective known as a "blade runner".
They should be, for this dissatisfaction is part of the film experience,
part of the dehumanized existence in the story's setting. However, as the
story unfolds, we see Ford's character, Rick Deckard, slowly come alive
again and recover some humanity while pursing four escaped
replicants.
The replicants, genetically-engineered human cyborgs, that Deckard must
hunt
down and kill are in many ways more alive than Deckard himself initially.
Their escape from an off-world colony has an explicit self-directed
purpose,
whereas Deckard's life appears to have none other than his job, one that he
has tried to give up. By some standards, Deckard and the replicants have
thin character development. However, this is a deeply thematic and
philosophical film, and as such the characters are the tools of the story's
themes. Each character reflects some aspect of humanity or human
existence,
but they lack others, for each is broken in ways that reflect the broken
society in which they live and were conceived/created.
There are several dramatic moments involving life-and-death struggles, but
most of these are more subdued than in a normal detective story plot. The
film's power is chiefly derived through its stunning visual imagery of a
dark futuristic cityscape and its philosophical themes.
Among the themes explored are the following:
- The dehumanization of people through a society shaped by technological
and
capitalistic excess.
- The roles of creator and creation, their mutual enslavement, and their
role reversal, i.e., the creation's triumph over its creator.
- The nature of humanity itself: emotions, memory, purpose, desire,
cruelty,
technological mastery of environment and universe, mortality, death, and
more.
- Personal identity and self-awareness.
- The meaning of existence.
If you are not someone who naturally enjoys contemplating such themes, the
film's brilliance may be lost on you. The climax involves a soliloquy that
brings many of the themes together in a simple yet wonderfully poetic way.
Anyone who "gets" the film should be moved by this; others will sadly miss
the point and may prefer watching some mindless action flick
instead.
"Blade Runner" is a masterpiece that deserves recognition and long
remembrance in film history.
Dark, deep, uncertain, unsettling imagine the most beautiful
nightmare you've ever had this is Blade Runner (1982).
Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is a brilliantly crafted science fiction
film that not only touches upon, but bravely plunges into deep
philosophical questions, making it simply ten times more important than
any film of its genre. I love it not only for the initial feeling it
gives, but because of its perseverance none of the visuals, themes or
technology feel dated but as deep, gripping and current as ever. It is
timeless beauty with huge doses of emotion.
Set in 2019 Los Angeles, Blade Runner zooms in on the eerily-lit, urban
streets of the city and follows Richard Deckard superbly played by
Harrison Ford who brings an exquisite moral ambiguity to his character
a special policeman who tracks down and terminates
artificially-created humans called replicants, who have escaped from an
Off-World colony and made their way to earth and need to be stopped.
The things Deckard encounters on his detective journey raise many
philosophical questions like: Who is really a replicant? Are replicants
really bad? If replicants are bad, when why did we go to such lengths
with our technology to create them? Are replicants really humans? Is
Deckard a hero? This truly is a film that demands subsequent discussion
and its ambiguous ending leave a haunting and eerie feeling.
In spite of a rich glaze of science fiction and futurism coating this
adventure, there are distinct film noir elements present primarily in
the bluish haze that the film is seen through and its gritty urban
atmosphere. Whoever thought of this combination is a genius. Since it
is all about technology, it fits then that Blade Runner features a
ridiculous amount of product placement, especially from Atari. In any
other film, this would have felt out-of-place but here it is simply
perfect. The score by Vangelis is strangely gripping when combined with
the striking cinematography of the film.
Blade Runner deserves credit, celebration and remembrance for it is
simply an excellent film.
10 out of 10 (and I don't just throw this grade out like SOME people)
Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and based on Philip K. Dick's novel
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, is a Sci-fi slash Noir film about a cop
named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in a decrepit 2019 Los Angeles
whose job it is to "retire" four genetically engineered syborgues, known as
"Replicants". The four fugitives, Pris (Daryl Hannah), Zhora (Joanna
Cassidy), Leon (Brion James), and their leader, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer),
have escaped from an off-world colony in order to find their creator and
bully him into expanding their pre-determined four year life span. This
film originally flopped when it came out in 1982, but since has become a
widely acclaimed cult classic with a director's cut to boot. A large part
of the success that this movie has received can be attributed to its ability
to operate on many different levels.
Ridley Scott's hauntingly possible depiction of what might become of Los
Angeles down the line is absolutely brilliant. It captures elements of Noir
with its urban atmosphere of decadence, lighting, and characters neither
clearly defined as good nor evil. Corruption is everywhere. The
garbage-littered streets and permanence of dark and rain give us the sense
that we've seriously screwed up the atmosphere, and the impression that all
respectable human beings have fled to the off-world colonies, leaving only
the scum of the earth behind.
There is a hint of style from the 40's, especially with respect to cars,
costumes, and music. Rachael's entire outfit, including her hair, screams
the 40's.
The soundtrack, arranged by Vangelis (who won an Oscar for his Chariots of
Fire score), consisted mainly of Jazz and Blues. This functioned to
represent a dark, moody world of uncertainty and pessimism.
The special effects were exceptional. Much of the set was pulled off using
models. In my opinion, sets made by hand require leagues more of skill and
are much more impressive and realistic than those computer generated. These
guys really knew what they were doing. I was especially fond of the
pyramidesque Tyrell Corporation building, which hinted at the god-like
presence of Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkell), the creator.
The script (Hampton Fancher, David Peoples, and of course Phil Dick) worked
for me, as well as the actors who gave voice to it. Harrison Ford was
well...Harrison Ford. I thought he did a tremendous job down-playing the
role. His voice-over narration helped you along, and was yet another
feature conducive to Film Noir (apparently this was taken out of the
Director's Cut). Rutger Hauer's performance was intense. His lines at the
end were intriguingly philosophical. Daryl Hannah's chilling robotic
expressions were quite impressive. Joanna Cassidy was just plain hot.
There is more to this film than just pulp. It works on so many remarkable
levels. The movie itself is a detective noir quest for the meaning of life
in a science fiction environment, but the story is a commentary on what it
means to be human and the questions each one of us have about life, like:
How long have I to live? Why do I have to die? What happens when I die?
Doesn't my maker care? Is this all merely an illusion? At the end of the
film we are left to wonder if these Replicants are human, and if Deckard
himself is in fact a Replicant. Scott raises more questions here than he
answers, and as a result, critics are still debating the mysteries of this
film today. In a sense, the ambiguity of Blade Runner is the culprit of its
success.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Blade Runner belongs on a list of 2 or 3 movies that had me walking out of
the theater in a stupor as though hit by a sledgehammer, the first time I
saw it. It fulfills one of my requirements of great films in that I walked
out of the theater a different person than when I entered. And it fulfilled
another requirement in that it improved with repeated viewings.
There is so much to take in visually, intellectually, and emotionally that
my mind was overwhelmed at the first viewing trying to sort it all out.
Unlike the so-called "entertainment" we get today at the movies, this film
didn't spoonfeed its meaning to you. It left the ending ambiguous so your
imagination has to supply it.
The film demands discussion. There are so many topics to debate. Is Deckard
a replicant? Do Deckard and Rachel live happily ever after? Why is there a
unicorn in the director's cut? Is Deckard a hero? Or are the replicants
really the good guys? Every time I watch it, my answers
change.
I may be one of the few that really likes the original. Probably because
I've seen that version a couple dozen times since 1982 before the director's
cut came out. This may contradict what I said earlier about being spoonfed,
but I liked the narration because it explained what was going on in
Deckard's mind. And I didn't mind the "happy ending" because it still
implied that their troubles may not be over. "I don't know how long we had
together. Who does?" But with that version memorized, I now appreciate the
directors cut. It probably has the better ending. (At least I think so until
I view it again!)
It's also fun watching actors before they became more famous later like Sean
Young, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh, William Sanderson, and Edward James
Olmos. I think they all did a great job. And Vangelis did a beautiful,
moving score.
After "Blade Runner", most of the big blockbuster science fiction movies
boil down to good guys vs. bad guys with lots of loud explosions and
in-your-face effects. Very simplistic messages, if any. That's why I still
contend that an "oldie" like Blade Runner still outshines them all. It has
incredible special effects, but never at the expense of the story. The
cityscapes do more than dazzle you, they involve you.
The more I think of it, the more I realize that "Blade Runner" is not only
my favorite science fiction movie, but one of my favorite films in any
genre. I wish Ridley Scott would return to science fiction, but then again
today's Hollywood would never release a movie like "Blade
Runner."
What can be said about this film that hasn't already been covered in preceding decennia? Blade Runner (either version) stands the test of time as an epic story which transcends a disparity of genres, as well as the seminal "dark" sci-fi film which has been mimicked so frequently (to varying degrees of success) since its original release. The interplay of film noir, sci-fi, and what is one of the most philosophically symbolic and academically analyzed narratives of the modern era holds its ground on both visual and cerebral levels even in the face of today's CGI laden blockbusters. The new director's cut, contrary to many cinematic re-hashings, actually serves to clarify many of the more nebulous aspects of the plot and makes a great film even better, arguably allowing it to be modernized and polished for a new generation of viewers who are more picky and yet simultaneously less idealistic. All while sustaining the feeling and flavor of the original. Call it restorative work if you will. The tinny and meandering score by Vangelis is pure 1980s at its most brooding and fits the texture and mood of the film beautifully. Indeed, for many reasons, finding this film in someone's DVD collection makes a true statement about their discriminating and refined taste in movies, and equally their appreciation of film as an artistic medium. I would suggest picking up a reader by someone like Nietzsche, Foucualt, Descartes, Kierkegaard, or any of the great existentialist philosophers after viewing this film in order to appreciate the story & its concepts at a whole new level, regardless if you're watching it for either the 1st, or the 100th time. An enduring classic and an intrepid piece of film-making with rich & often haunting visuals designed to entertain and promote introspection amongst its viewers. 9/10.
This is simply Scott's finest hour. There are a sheer plethora of
futuristic films with vision. Films which crudely grope into a possible
time ahead,when perhaps a post apocalyptic era is scattered with cliché
upon cliché and often miss the whole point. What Ridley Scott achieved
with this film,is an entirely possible scenario. It really does feel
like a science fiction novel brought to life,but not so much as its
derivative penned by Phillip K Dick(do androids dream of electric
sheep?). Its a grimy,violent world inhabited by the sick,lower
class,villainous second citizens who haven't quite made the grade for
the off world colonies. We have a true smelting pot of
nationalities.The heavy eastern references within china town like inner
cities is particularly poignant.
This film also sees Ford in perfect casting.Theirs a rye charm that
Ford has that no other actor could fake or fill quite as effortlessly.
Its a mixed review depending on what version you have seen. For me,the
directors cut is simply too cut. I preferred the audience friendly
screening which had the wonderful narration. The finest moment with
this narration has to be the moments described by Batty in his dying
eyes and the summing up by Ford of this man/machines passion and love
for life.. No other sci-fi futuristic film has ever made the grade
before or since in my humble opinion. It captured the raw smells and
light of a brutal future scarily depicted in films or even so well.
From the chase scene with Zora to the flybys over the city capturing a
stunning skyline,chimneys and skyscrapers in one shot. This is my
favourite movie of all time for all the reasons above and many more i
could effortlessly type all day and night.
OK, I admit...the first time I watched this movie I detested it. But hey, I
was 16 years old and had expected an action-packed sci-fi adventure. Blade
Runner is not such a film.
But I am grateful for this, for after maturing a bit and rewatching the
movie a couple of times, I discovered its greatness.
It is not a traditional sci-fi movie, it's a touching drama about the value
of life and the importance of making the most of what you've
got.
One of the most important themes in the film is the question of what is more
valuable - humans without emotions, or machines with?
The film gives no answer - it just opens our eyes and makes us aware that we
should be grateful for being alive.
Some people prefer the Director's Cut, but I like the original version
better - mostly because of the wonderful end line:
"I didn't know how long we had together. Who does?"
That pretty much sums it up.
This is a film that is so deep, rich, and multi-layered, it may require
more than one viewing to fully absorb the brilliance of what you've
just seen. At first glance, it can be a bit slow. It's told in a
classic film noir fashion, so this is to be expected. Director Ridley
Scott seems to want to savor every shot, and an astute audience will be
able to sense this.
Now, I say the film is told in a classic Noir style, but this can be
misleading. There is no Humphrey Bogart in Blade Runner, snapping off
brilliant one-liners once a second. Only hopeless people, in many ways
victims of the merciless world of which they are all a part. Deckard is
a typically downbeat protagonist, a hard-boiled cynical leading man
with a weakness for heavy drinking. The plot is a mystery in name only,
as the audience is allowed to know what Roy Batty, Pris and Leon are
all up to before Deckard ever finds out. This only lends to the dread
and inevitability of the film, lending further to its pervasive gloom.
There is no final scene at the end where the bold detective puts all
the pieces together and says "Ah-Ha!". Instead, we find Rick Deckard
questioning his own existence and drinking away his constant doubts,
all the while embroiled in a romantic relationship with someone he's
sworn to kill.
Blade Runner requires audience participation, particularly in the
Director's Cut, which is entirely devoid of some rather necessary
exposition provided by the Original Cut's much-maligned voice-over.
Certain facts will not be clear even at the end of the film, requiring
personal interpretation in order to be appreciated fully. Other facts
will be given away in much more subtle ways than in most modern cinema,
such as through visual cues and tenuous dialogue.
Finally, visually, this movie is quite simply a science fiction
triumph. It looks better than modern computer effects in every way that
counts. Superimposed special effect objects don't give off that
unnatural, clearly computer-generated "Lord of the Rings" sheen common
in today's effects-driven blockbusters. This, of course, is because
Blade Runner - while a gorgeous movie - is not effects driven in the
least. Rather, it is a visually driven story that doesn't rely on
special effects. This is an important distinction to make in today's
Hollywood.
"Touch of Evil" really wasn't the last of the Great Film Noirs!
I have an interest in science fiction films and TV programmes. I like
shows like (the original) Star Wars trilogy, (most of) the Star Trek
films, as well as Star Trek TV series (Voyager for modern
times,preferably, as it had the least number of useless episodes), etc.
In my experience, most SF material turns out to be distilled garbage.
Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' was a masterpiece. I am not hesitant
to say that I blatantly dislike Spielberg's definition of SF- ET, Close
Encounters, & (worst of all) War Of The Worlds. Neither do I appreciate
any 'Alien' film apart from R Scott's 1979 original (although Alien2
was OK)-Alien vs Pred is a disgrace not only to all genres, but to the
film industry itself. So when I heard of Blade Runner on the net, I
wondered; what could be so good about this film? I have HBO,Cinemax,
Star Movies- yet this film has never been shown. So, I got myself the
Director's Cut at the local video store. I watched it once. Then I
re-watched it two days later. My verdict: This film is fantastic.
It is one of the greatest films ever made, on par with 2001: A Space
Odyssey. Upon 1st viewing, new audiences may be bewildered. One
anticipates a futuristic run-of-the-mill 80's shoot-em-up (in the like
of Outland,say). What you get is a film so deep that it is difficult to
grasp the 1st time. There is so much symbolism, introverts and
questions that I was left stunned. The film is hauntingly beautiful,
and I doubt that these screen landscapes could be reproduced today as
well as they were here. The plot centres around the question of
humanity- something we take for granted. It is not an auctioneer, which
was probably what audiences expected when they walked into theatres in
the 80s, causing the film to fail commercially. Blade Runner is not for
the adrenaline junkie, nor for those who like flashy gadgets and bright
explosions, with a healthy Hollywood-made dose of convincing storyline
spoon-fed for their satisfaction.
The film is set in the apocalyptic, suggestively post-war future Earth,
where there seems to be a lag in technology. Perhaps there was a war
which ravaged the world, forcing humans to migrate (the cramped
cultural richness of LA), and rebuild, explaining the retro technology.
6 'Criminal' Nexus 6 replicates (genetically engineered humanoids),
hijack a ship and come to Earth seeking their maker. These
slaves(machines/automatons// regard them as anything which has been
created by Man to lessen his burden) have developed emotions, and they
fear death for they cherish their memories (Think robots weeping over
photographs). Their cause: They want a longer life, they want to
experience more, they want to be... human.
Enter Rick Deckard, Blade Runner. His job: kill trespassing replicates;
Kill living, breathing humanoids composed of flesh and blood who only
have 4 years to live out their miserable lives, seeking haven on Earth
rather than serving as slaves in mining outposts on Mars. Kill? Murder
seems more appropriate. But that's his job. replicates which trespass
are a hazard. These 6 replicates have killed 23 people and hijacked a
ship. They have to be killed, right? If you're planning to take sides
in this film, you will be pleasantly if not unnervingly surprised.
There are no sides. There is no good and evil. Harrison Ford plays the
reluctant, burned out Blade Runner very well. His character is drab and
dull, as it was meant to be; look at him in the Spinner on the way to
Tyrell corporation- pure boredom. He hates his job. If there were any
narration, it Should sound dull and uninteresting, reflecting his
character. Rutger Hauer gives the greatest performance of his career
(so far) in this film, playing Roy Batty, Replicant 'project manager'.
He dominates the later part of the film. He is cold, stiff and evil,
but in the end speech, one of the Greatest endings I have ever seen,
his performance alone makes this film a Classic. The ending is
beautiful, and the score by Vangelis is perfect.
All in all, the film is excellent. Well directed by Ridley Scott,
innovative and stunning imagery underlined by Vangelis' superb score,
and plenty to think about (on your own- no spoon feeding). Check out
the trivia for this film; scientists voted it better than 2001:A Space
Odyssey. Is the quest for humanity a crime? Find out for yourself.
Blade Runner is a Must-Watch, and a Must-Have film.
My rating: 8.9 / 10 Thank you for your time. Kris
But it's almost like an art movie, the first science-fiction art film
It's a futuristic film beautifully put together
It's really impeccably
made by one of the great visionary directors
And you really saw a
future that looked very different from the future you had seen before
A future that looked very believable like the visual-effects shots of
the flying car going over a futuristic city
The fight sequence doesn't
prepare you for the traumatic emotional side that there is in the film,
it leaves you sort of broken
There is a beautiful, delicate emotional great scene that I remember
when I first saw the movie
I'm in the theater and I'm so drawn in what
Rutger Hauer's doing
I'm so drawn in by what the theme of the movie
has brought us to
The magnificent moment where he is letting go of
life
And in those last moments of letting go of life he's really
learned to appreciate life to the point where he spares Deckard's life,
and where he's even holding a white dove because he just wants to have
something that's alive in his hands
It's an amazing sort of crescendo
that's going and there's Rutger saying: "I've seen things you people
wouldn't believe. All these moments will be lost in time like tears in
rain." Hauer puts all the things that are so amazing about people:
sense of poetry, sense of humor, sense of sexuality, sense of the kid,
sense of soul
Scott brought out the best qualities in his performers
He coaxed and
very gently manipulated performances from his actors that in some
instances I think they've rarely topped
You feel the story, you feel
the emotions of the characters and you will be lost in the middle of
this wild world, you know, it's so rich and it's painful
I mean it's a
very bluesy, dark story and told very compassionately
The overpopulation, the sort of crowd scenes is so rich and varied and
there's such an extreme detail designing the magazine covers, designing
the look of the punks, the Hare Krishnas, the biological salesman,
everything is designed
You have just Piccadilly Circus punks walking
by
You have a sense of layers in that society
That is one of those
things that you see again and again
The city landscape with the big
billboards à la Kyoto or Tokyo
Scott was able to create the look based
on what goes on in various cities all over the world
Whether it is
Tokyo, Kyoto or Beijing or Hong Kong or whatever, you're right in
"Blade Runner" country
"Blade Runner," to me, embodies the elegance, the power, and the
uniqueness of a film experience
It's the most classical, beautiful,
purest movie-making writing and then the film-making itself is
The
images and the sound and the music, it's pure cinema
Ridley came out
with an amazing, brilliantly executed future of an absolute dystopia
The intensity of his perfectionism on "Blade Runner" made the movie
This is a master at his best
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